• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 06 / 24 / 2011

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2011.06.23 - 15:16:35 / radiorebelde.icrt.cu. HAVANA, Cuba.- Gary W. Knox, vice president of the International Magnolia Society and renowned American gardener will give a lecture in Cuba on Friday about environmentally friendly landscaping.

Knox traveled to Cuba at the invitation of the National Botanical Garden of the University of Havana. He will give the lecture at the San Geronimo University College located in Old Havana, announced Alejandro Palmarola, vice president of the Cuban Botanical Society.

Palmarola said the American specialist will host meetings about horticulture and preservation which are expected to set the grounds for future joint research projects.

Knox has dedicated more than 30 years to the extensive growing and spreading of autochthonous species and to introduce them in horticulture. He currently works with the Research and Education Center of North Florida.

One of the most outstanding projects he has been involved in is the ex situ development of collections of threatened species for their conservation; including native plants in urban environments as an alternative to promote the knowledge and appreciation of the local flora and promoting the potentialities of horticulture as green industry.

The Cuban Botanical Garden is working on increasing its collections of live plants, particularly endemic and threatened, by means of programs for the collection of genetic materials in natural areas and the acquisition of seeds by trading with national and foreign institutions.

The Magnolia Society is an international, non-profit plant society founded to promote the cultivation of magnolias and the interchange of up-to-date information about magnolias, including their conservation status, improvement and culture in diverse climates. (ACN)